Smruti's Blog

Fanon's Revolutionary Vision: Infrastructure, Superstructure, and Global Decolonization This blog post has been prepared as part of a thinking activity assigned by Megha Trivedi ma'am, Department of English, MKBU. The blog engages with Frantz Fanon's revolutionary ideas on colonialism, decolonization, and global capitalism. It challenges to think critically about the complex relationships between economic structures, cultural domination, and the ongoing processes of liberation in the postcolonial world. Fanon's work remains urgently relevant for understanding contemporary global inequalities and the unfinished project of decolonization.

Lab Session: DH- AI Bias NotebookLM Activity This blog is based on the Digital Humanities Lab Activity titled AI Bias NotebookLM , assigned by Professor Dilip P. Barad. In this activity, participants examined how generative AI models display different forms of bias and how these biases influence literary interpretation. The lab involved creating a mindmap, taking a bias quiz, watching an explanatory video, consulting a source guide, and preparing a studio report each component offering practical insight. Through feminist, postcolonial, and political frameworks, the activity showed that AI systems often reproduce gendered, cultural, and ideological biases present in their training data, and that intentional filtering can further strengthen dominant narratives. Overall, the session highlighted the need for critical thinking, consistent cultural evaluation, and the active inclusion of diverse narratives to build a more equitable digital knowledge landscape.

  Fictional and Real Speech in Jane Austen and the 19th Century: A CLiC Study As part of our Digital Humanities laboratory experience, we have undertaken a series of engaging activities designed for exploration and reflection. This blog post documents my response to these exercises, which were thoughtfully curated by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir to enhance our academic understanding and provide hands-on experience in this emerging field. For those interested in delving deeper into this subject matter, I've included a valuable resource that offers additional context and insights. You can access it through this link: Click Here .

Voices of Independence: Exploring Indian Literature, Philosophy, and Cultural Identity in the Postcolonial Era This blog post has been prepared as part of a thinking activity assigned by   Prakruti Bhatt ma'am, Department of English, MKBU. The questions addressed here span poetry analysis, philosophical inquiry, educational theory, autobiographical writing, and literary history reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of postcolonial studies and the interconnectedness of literary, philosophical, and cultural discourses in understanding contemporary India.

Analysis of Toru Dutt's "Lakshman"  Introduction Toru Dutt (1856-1877) stands as a pioneering figure in Indian English literature, creating a unique synthesis of Indian mythological traditions and Victorian literary techniques. Her poem "Lakshman" from Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882) reimagines a crucial episode from Valmiki's Ramayana   the moment when Sita compels Lakshman to abandon his protective duty, leading to her abduction by Ravana. This analysis examines how Dutt's portrayal departs from traditional ideals and illuminates complex gender dynamics. Toru Dutt: Pioneer of Indian English Poetry: Question 1: Do you think the character of Sita portrayed by Toru Dutt in her poem Lakshman differs from the ideal image of Sita presented in The Ramayana? (Sita's Characterization - A Departure from the Ramayana Ideal) The Traditional Ideal of Sita In Valmiki's Ramayana , Sita embodies the pativrata ideal  the perfect devoted wife. ...

The Many Stages of ' Final Solutions' : A Journey through Mahesh Dattani's World of Conflict and Connection This blog is written as part of a reflective thinking activity assigned by Prakruti Bhatt Ma'am , based on Mahesh Dattani’s play ' Final Solutions' . The purpose of this exercise was not merely to study the text as literature but to experience it through the medium of performance. Under the guidance of our professors and mentor, we explored how Dattani’s play engages with themes of communal tension, guilt, and reconciliation, while also learning the collaborative and technical aspects of theatre. This reflection brings together my personal journey of working behind the scenes, observing the transformation of script into stage, and realising how theatre becomes a space for both artistic expression and social understanding. 1. Significance of Time and Space in Mahesh Dattani’s 'Final Solutions' Introduction: Final Solutions (1993) by Mahesh Datta...